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VentureLabs is ranked as the #1 early-phase university incubator! (while I no longer have any direct connections, that was a stepping stone that got me to where

VentureLabs is ranked as the #1 early-phase university incubator! (while I no longer have any direct connections, that was a stepping stone that got me to where I am today). I was wondering how the author could be so clueless about the startup culture that already exists at Georgia Tech. Then it dawned on me that he's probably sharing the view from the undergraduate school. I only experienced the graduate school at GT, but I could tell that the undergrad experience is dramatically different from the graduate school experience. As an alum of the graduate school, I can tell you that there are tons of opportunities to turn your research into a commercial venture. GT is very flexible about licensing technologies to outside companies. It amazes me that there can be such a difference between the two bodies of students. I hope the author can tie his efforts into the existing startup infrastructure and culture. That would be a huge benefit to get more undergraduates involved.

dpeck 13y ago
I think you're right with the graduate side of things. During my time (early 2000s) as a CS undergrad at GT I don't remember too much about startups but thinking back I'm not really sure I should have. Resources absolutely should be there for those seeking, but I'm not sure pushing a startup culture hard at the undergraduate level is the best thing to do. Those years are for building up the foundations to do all the awesome things that GT people do later in life and short circuiting that with trying to do a startup is probably best left to those who actively want to pursue it. Looking back at my Senior Design semester, I know my attention to other classes that semester wasn't what it should have been as were were working to get our prototypes, had real customers expecting us to deliver, etc.
timtamboy63 13y ago
Don't get me wrong, I definitely do know about the existing infrastructure set up for startups around Tech. I just don't feel like other undergrads do, and that's my problem. We work with them as closely as we can - we had Frank Moyer (http://frankmoyer.com/ http://frankmoyer.com/) come by most meetings we had at sX. We referred a bunch of teams to Startup Gauntlet (http://www.startupgauntlet.com/ http://www.startupgauntlet.com/) and I know of at least two that went ahead with the program. By no means do we want to do this solo - we genuinely want to help change the culture at Georgia Tech, and there's no reason to re-invent the wheel when there are already so many amazing organizations to help startups at Tech. We're just trying to raise awareness about them, and about startup culture in general. I had no idea that Tech was so pro-startup when it came into grad school, it's definitely something I'll look into.
Dragonai 13y ago
That's fascinating. I'm another undergrad here and I didn't know that! I'm going to look into what you've mentioned, thank you for the information!

dpeck 13y ago

I think you're right with the graduate side of things. During my time (early 2000s) as a CS undergrad at GT I don't remember too much about startups but thinking back I'm not really sure I should have. Resources absolutely should be there for those seeking, but I'm not sure pushing a startup culture hard at the undergraduate level is the best thing to do. Those years are for building up the foundations to do all the awesome things that GT people do later in life and short circuiting that with trying to do a startup is probably best left to those who actively want to pursue it. Looking back at my Senior Design semester, I know my attention to other classes that semester wasn't what it should have been as were were working to get our prototypes, had real customers expecting us to deliver, etc.

timtamboy63 13y ago

Don't get me wrong, I definitely do know about the existing infrastructure set up for startups around Tech. I just don't feel like other undergrads do, and that's my problem. We work with them as closely as we can - we had Frank Moyer (http://frankmoyer.com/ http://frankmoyer.com/) come by most meetings we had at sX. We referred a bunch of teams to Startup Gauntlet (http://www.startupgauntlet.com/ http://www.startupgauntlet.com/) and I know of at least two that went ahead with the program. By no means do we want to do this solo - we genuinely want to help change the culture at Georgia Tech, and there's no reason to re-invent the wheel when there are already so many amazing organizations to help startups at Tech. We're just trying to raise awareness about them, and about startup culture in general. I had no idea that Tech was so pro-startup when it came into grad school, it's definitely something I'll look into.

Dragonai 13y ago

That's fascinating. I'm another undergrad here and I didn't know that! I'm going to look into what you've mentioned, thank you for the information!